T he breakup came out of the blue. My then girlfriend and I had shared an intense and fast-moving relationship for two years, then one day she ended things over the phone. I’d thought we would spend the rest of our lives together and have children. I was wrong.
I was quite upset to have been dumped over the phone, and managed to get her to agree to meet me for dinner a couple of weeks later. At a restaurant, we shared a very tearful and intimate conversation about what we meant to each other. She didn’t reconsider her decision, though – that was it.
When it came time to get the cheque, we were told the bill had already been paid by another patron who wished to remain anonymous. Someone within earshot of us must have heard our conversation and decided to extend a kindness.
It was completely unexpected – we’re not raised to expect such generosity in western society. When I was in an emotionally vulnerable state, that act calmed me, and took the edge off all we had discussed at dinner.
My former girlfriend and I went our separate ways that evening but have kept in sporadic contact over the years. We still agree that we had a positive influence on each other’s lives. And we will always remember how a stranger gave us a very sweet ending to a very sad evening.
